168 



Canadian Forestry Journal, April, 1919 



FRANCE, ENGLAND AND AMERICA — A PARALLEL 



Col. Hinr}) S. Craves, Chief Forester of the United States. 



It happens that the area of forest land in 

 New England is about 25,000,000 acres. This 

 is almost the same as the forest area of France, 

 and in many respects the character of the forest 

 has marked points of similarity. France is pro- 

 ducing by growth each year 50 per cent more 

 than New England. She has for years been im- 

 proving her forests and approaching a point 

 where she can furnish most of her domestic 

 needs. New England by progressive diminution 

 of capital stock and failure adequately to pro- 

 duce forests is going in exactly the other direc- 

 tion, losing ground every year. Before the war 

 France was building up her forest resources; 

 New England has been progressively destroying 

 hers. Before the war France was importing 

 about 80,000,000 cubic feet of lumber. New 

 England's imports exceed this amount. The 

 forest and wood-using industries of France fur- 

 nished employment to over 700,000 persons, and 

 because the forests were handled in a way to 

 keep up production by growth this employment 

 was permanent. It was the small industries 

 supported from local forests that furnished em- 

 ployment to so many people. 



England before the war left herself quite in- 

 dependent in forest matters. Her large mer- 

 chant marine made it possible to import from 

 many competing countries. She did not have 

 to practice forestry. During 1915 and 1916 the 

 excess cost over previous years of importing 

 forest materials was $185,000,000. The next 

 year she had to stop importing almost entirely. 

 She then cut down her meager forests and park 

 timber, and finally had to rely on France, which 

 was supplying the needs of all the armies on the 

 west front. England now plans a great pro- 

 gramme of reforestation. She proposes to plant 

 up over a million acres in the next 40 years, 

 spending during the first decade over $17,- 

 000,000. England does not intend to again be 

 caught without home supplies. 



THE MEDICINE FOR TROUBLE. 



I've been feeling pretty blue; 



Have you ever had 'em? 

 Well, I guess they're nothing new, 



Bothered even Adam. 

 But I found a medicine 



For my troubles, neighbor — 

 I sat down and buckled in 



With my daily labor. 



Try it some time when you've got 



Feelings that are dizzy; 

 Buckle in, no matter what. 

 Just so you are busy. 

 All the devils of despair 

 In the shadows lurking 

 Seldom bother you with care 

 If they find you working. 



— Douglas Malloch. 



ABITIBI CO. PLANS TO PLANT. 



The Abitibi Power and Paper Company, 

 Limited, intends to begin a reforestation pro- 

 gramme this year and has asked for the co- 

 operation of the Commission of Conservation 

 in this work. The Commission has been co- 

 operating with the Riordon Pulp and Paper 

 Company and The Laurentide Company, 

 Limited, for one and two years respectively in 

 reforestation work, and considerable headway 

 has been made. The initial studies have con- 

 cerned the rate of reforestation of cut-over pulp- 

 wood lands under natural conditions. Investi- 

 gations to date point to the fact that it will 

 take from 50 to 100 years for spruce and 

 balsam to grow to merchantable size on these 

 cut-over lands, whereas lumbermen have thought 

 that reforestation would take place in about 30 

 years. Another disquieting feature the in- 

 vestigations have disclosed is the fact that where 

 the pulpwood species are cut down, the new 

 growth is predominately hardwood for which, as 

 yet, there is little market.- These scientific facts 

 are of paramount importance both to the pulp 

 and paper industry as well as to the Govern- 

 ments concerned, which have always drawn 

 large revenues from the forests. 



